Rail-joint.



ANDREW J. CALFEE, OF LEAIDVALE, TENNESSEE.

RAIL-JOINT.

iaoaaoe.

Application filed November 24, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ANDREW J. CALFEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Leadvale, in the county of Jefferson and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail- Joints; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in rail joints and more particularly to fish plate construction.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a sectional fish plate which will allow for expansion and contraction of the rails and bolts and will obviate any danger of the bolts breaking.

A secondary object is to provide simply constructed and attached cushioning springs to be employed between the inner and outer sections of my improved fish plate.

With the above objects in view, the invention resides in certain novel features'of con struction and combination herein described and claimed, and shown in the drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation of the meeting ends of two rails showing my improved fish plate applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a similar view with the outer member of the fish plate removed; Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a vertical cross section on line 4L-4l of Fig. 1.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown the meeting ends of two rails 1 resting upon a bed plate 2, said bed plate having the usual integral brace and fish plate 3. These elements form no part of the present invention, although said fish plate closely cooperates therewith.

Coming now to details, my improved fish plate comprises, in general. an inner plate 4, an outer plate 5, and cushioning springs 6 disposed between the two. The inner plate 4: is recessed longitudinally on its rail engaging face as at i, has its upper and lower edges beveled as at 8 and 9 to contact with the body and the flange of the rail, and is provided with a longitudinal channel 10 for a purpose to appear. The outer plate 5 has its lower edge beveled as at 11 to engage the flange of the rails and is provided with a longitudinal channel 12 on its inner face.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 21, 1914. Serial No. 802,739.

This channel 12 is adapted to co-act with the channel 10 in the plate 4 to form a housing for the springs 6 hereinbefore referred to.

The usual bolts 13 pass through registering openings in the stationary fish plate 3 and the rails 1 and through elongated openings 14 and 15 in the plates 4 and 5 respectively and on the bolts 13 within the channels 10 and 12 are mounted the springs 6. The above mentioned cushion springs 6 are formed in a single unit by coiling a piece of resilient wire to form the convolutions of one spring and then extending one end laterally as at 16 and coiling it into another spring, and so on until the desired number of cushioning springs is obtained. The construction of these springs is very advantageous since a series formed in a single unit is much easier to handle and apply than a plurality of independent coils. With the parts in the above described positions, nuts 17 are screwed on the free ends of the bolts 13 and tightened until the rails and the sectional fish plate are drawn toward the stationary fish plate 3 and the springs 6 are compressed to the proper tension. It will also be clear that the tension of the springs 6 will force the plates 4 and 5 into binding contact with the opposite sides of the rails 1, will frictionally lock the nuts on the bolts 13 against turning, and will compensate for any wear of the various parts of the device. Devices of this character employing the resilient properties of wood are now in use but the springs 6 have many advantages over the wooden cushions. The most striking advantage is that the metal springs will last indefinitely, while the wooden cushions are short lived, owing to decay.

I may, if desired, manufacture the springs in proper sizes tob'e used with other forms of fish plates and to take the place of the wooden cushions before referred to.

Although I have described my invention with considerable minuteness, I do not wish to be limited to details other than those emphasized in the appending claim.

I claim as my invention In a device of the character described, the combination with the meeting ends of two rails, and a solid fish plate in contact with one side thereof, of a sectional fish plate contacting with the opposite sides of said rails, said sectional fish plate comprising an inner springs disposed at intervals Within the and an outer member channeled longituditional fish plate into yielding contact With 10 nally on their inner faces cushioning eleone side of the rails.

ments formed of a single piece of resilient In testimony whereof I have hereunto set Wire bent to form a plurality of coiled my hand in presence of two subscribing Witchannels of said inner and outer members,

nesses.

- ANDREW J. CALFEE. bolts passin through said solid and sec- 1' Witnesses: tional fish p ates and the intervening rails Y; R. WILLIAMS, and springs, and nuts for drawing said sec- 1 W. F. NIoHoLs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Iatents, Washington. D. t! 

